uMthunywa
Msilisi Dube
ISIKHATHI sokutshisa sivame ukuba lemikhuhlane eminengi ehlasela izilimo okucina kubangela ukuthi abalimi bengatholi isivuno abayabe besikhangelele, kungakho-ke abalimi sebexwayiswe ukuthi baqaphele.
Inhlanganiso ebona ngezokulima eyeAgritex ixwayise abalimi ukuba baqaphele umkhuhlane we-red spider ovame ukuhlasela amatamatisi, ama-cucumbers kanye lama-melons ngesikhathi lesi.
Umkhuhlane lo kubikwa uyingozi nxa ungananzelelwanga ngoba ulakho ukuthanyela izilimo zonke umlimi alahlekelwe yinzuzo yakhe.
Ekhuluma loMthunywa, uMnumzana Edward Gumbo onguSmall Plants Specialist eMatabeleland South ukhuthaze abalimi ukuba baqaphele umkhuhlane lo ngoba ungatshabalalisa amatamatisi abo.
UMnu Moyo uthe umkhuhlane lo ubangelwa yizibungwana ezincane ezithiwa ngama-virus ngesiLungu. Izibungwana lezi kubikwa zihlasela amahlamvu esilimo kunye lempande.
“Izibungwana lezi zibangelwa yikutshisa kakhulu yikho umkhuhlane lo uvame ngenyanga kaNcwabakazi kusiya phambili.
“Izibungu lezi ziyamunya umsobho wesilimo uthole amahlamvu aso eseswabile njalo esegoqana.
“Kwesinye isikhathi amahlamvu la engaswaba ayatsha uthole eselombala olithanga. Ngokuya kwesikhathi isibungu lesi siyaswela okokumunya sicine sesimunya impande zesihlahla okuyikho okubangela ukuthi isilimo sife ngoba singasela manzi,” kutsho uMnu Gumbo.
UMnu Gumbo uqhubekele phambili wathi izibungwana lezi kunzima ukuba uzibone ngamehlo ngakho umlimi ulakho ukuzibona angasebenzisa umtshina obizwa ngokuthi yi-microscope.
“Izibungwana lezi zincane kakhulu njalo zivame ukuhlala ngaphansi kwamahlamvu esilimo. Ngesikhathi somqando siyacatsha ngaphansi kwamahlamvu ngakho ziyabe zingakahlaseli isilimo zilindele isikhathi sokutshisa.
“Izibungwana lezi zande ukuhlasela izilimo zifana lamatamatisi, cucumbers kunye lama-melons. Umlimi ulakho ukuvikela izilimo zakhe ngokuzifafaza ngamanzi alomlotha kunye lesawudo.
UMnu Gumbo uphethe ngokuthi nxa umkhuhlane lo usuthe wahlasela izilimo umlimi ulakho ukusebenzisa umuthi obizwa ngokuthi yi-insecticidal soap wona ofafazwa phezu kwamahlamvu.
Umlimi ulakho njalo ukuthenga umuthi othiwa yi-Orthene, Kelthane or Isotox yona ehlanganiswa lamanzi ubusufafaza ngayo izilimo.
